📢 Potomac River tops our 2026 Most Endangered Rivers list with @prknetwork.bsky.social & @gonatureforward.bsky.social! Sewage pollution and data center development threatens this source of drinking water for our nation’s capital. 🔊 Learn more & #TakeAction: www.AmericanRivers.org/PotomacRiver2026

🤡 It’s April Fools’ Day–but greenwashing isn’t a joke. Companies often say products are “sustainable” or “recyclable,” even when those claims don’t match reality. Our Greenwashed 2025 report breaks down real cases of greenwashing and explains the tactics to watch for: just-zero.org/reports/gree...

The Eastern Redbuds (Cercis canadensis) are in bloom! Learn more about the tree our logo is inspired by🔍🌱 PS… Forage redbud flowers responsibly Photos by BONAP, Matt Tillett, Megan McCarty, Dick Daniels, Jeffery Gammon, Klikini

Join us on Tuesday, March 31st at 7pm to hear from Dr. Edwin Lyman, Union of Concerned Scientists! Learn about the risks and benefits of nuclear energy, the impacts of recent federal changes, and what you can do to keep your community safe. RSVP here: actionnetwork.org/events/navig...

Winter’s not over yet! Bradley, our habitat manager, loves winter tree ID so much he’s not ready to be done talking about it just yet. Can you guess which tree he’s describing?

Wednesday was Maryland Data Center Lobby Day! See how you can make a difference and speak up for data centers reform: Maryland 2026 GA Data Center Bills: natureforward.org/data-center-... Marylanders for Data Center Reform Coalition: natureforward.org/mfdcr/

ONE week from today! Join us for the Montgomery County Executive Candidates' Green Forum next Monday, March 17th from 7:00-8:30pm at the Silver Spring Civic Center. form.jotform.com/260515385836...

Environmental leaders are sounding the alarm: the proposed Dickerson #datacenter could sink Montgomery County’s #climate goals. The Montgomery County Council needs to require 100% #cleanenergy for the proposed Dickerson data center. @gonatureforward.bsky.social youtu.be/6qy-fWdIVzk?...

Join us in the push for data center reform in Maryland! Nature Forward was proud to serve as an expert witness in support of the Clean Capacity Bill. Urge your representative to pass this bill and other critical data center reform legislation. Take action today: natureforward.org/data-center-...

Check out the speakers and panelists lined up for Nature Forward’s Naturally Latinos Conference - March 26-28!

Nature Forward’s Naturally Latinos Conference is coming up soon! Join us March 26-28 virtually and in-person to come together as a community and embrace the importance of our connection to nature and to one another.

Tell YOUR legislators why you want responsible and transparent data center development in MD. Join the Marylanders for Data Center Reform Coalition on Wednesday, March 11th for a Rally on Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis before our inaugural Lobby Day for data center reform.

Join us for the Montgomery County Executive Candidates' Green Forum on March 16th from 7pm-8:30pm at the Silver Spring Civic Center!

Nature Forward's Naturally Latinos 2026 Conference is coming up: March 26-28! Hear from MasPaz, local DC muralist, who designed the 2026 Naturally Latinos logo which includes a Blackburian warbler and a swamp rose mallow flower (Hibiscus moscheutos).

Last weekend, we hosted a Great Backyard Bird Count Walk at Woodend Nature Sanctuary. BBC Radio 4 joined us to cover this global community science event and featured a few of our birders in the story! Listen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3O3...

DC needs a bottle bill NOW! The basics: customers pay a 10-cent refundable deposit when purchasing a plastic or glass bottle or aluminum can. Then, they can return their emptied beverage container to a drop-off location and get their 10-cents back.

Success for the W&OD Trail! Dominion Energy and NOVA Parks have come to an agreement to restore portions of the W&OD Trail that were clear cut last year. Read Coalition for Smarter Growth's press release here: www.smartergrowth.net/virginia/rel...

Major thanks to @pwcdanica.bsky.social, who started our Data Center Reform Lobby Day today with a strong message: no amount of money or #SuperBowl ads can buy public trust, people power can't be beaten. @gonatureforward.bsky.social @cleanvirginia.org #ai #datacenters #utilitybills #valeg

Virginia lost $1.6 BILLION in revenue due to state sales tax exemptions for the data center industry in FY2025. Today, Renee Grebe, our VA Conservation Advocate, headed down to Richmond for Data Center Lobby Day in Virginia! Read more here: natureforward.org/2026-va-ga-p...

Pictures from the Virginia Conservation Network’s Conservation Lobby Day! We spoke with several Virginia legislators about our legislative priorities for the General Assembly which include data center reform, managing invasive plants, supporting sustainability, and renewable energy.

The Maryland General Assembly has officially begun! As we advocate for environmental legislation in this year's session, we want to hear from you! Help us decide which three bills will be our priorities in this General Assembly. Read more and vote here: natureforward.org/vote-for-202...

Congratulations to Nature Forward on receiving an Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund grant for its Langley Park and Brentwood Climate Resilience project, which involves installing climate-resilient green infrastructure in Langley Park and Brentwood. @gonatureforward.bsky.social natureforward.org

Join the Howard Human and Civil Rights Law Review for their 11th Annual C. Clyde Ferguson Jr. Symposium on Thursday, February 5th from 10am-4pm and hear from our Director of Conservation, Lydia Lawrence, on how we can restore balance in a changing climate. www.eventbrite.com/e/11th-annua...

Hear from our DC Conservation Advocate, Jamoni Overby, at the Marshall Heights Community Development Org's upcoming event: The Keynote Panel 2026. Learn more about climate change, emergency preparedness, and disaster recovery in DC. Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-keynot...

The 2026 Maryland Environmental Legislative Summit is coming up! Join the Maryland Community Coalition for the Environment on Wednesday, January 28th from 4:30-6:00pm in Annapolis for a night of conversation and connection! Register here: bit.ly/envirosummit...

DC's Bottle Bill: 💲Customers pay an initial 10 cent tax when purchasing beverage containers 💰Customers, then, get their deposit refunded when their empty container is returned This program would reduce litter, drive community engagement, and more. Stay tuned for more Bottle Bill info!

Data center articles we’ve been reading to stay in the loop: 🌿"In 2026, more data center regulations could be coming in Maryland" by Christine Condon, Maryland Matters: marylandmatters.org/2026/01/03/d...

Montgomery County, Maryland's Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) Law is now in effect! Learn more here: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/bag/ 📷: Renee Grebe, Angie McCarthy, Ben Israel

Happy 2026! Let's take a look back at everything we accomplished in 2025 - thanks to you. We're so excited to continue to protect, restore, and advocate for nature this year!

New article by Samir Ali Nomani, Fairfax County Times: “Board votes to allow electrical substations 100 feet from homes” Renee Grebe, our VA Conservation Advocate, is quoted explaining the impact this decision will have on VA residents and the environment. www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/boa...

Yesterday, the Maryland General Assembly voted to override Gov. Wes Moore's veto of the Data Center Study Bill! This could not have been achieved without you - 1,179 letters were sent to the Maryland General Assembly asking lawmakers to pass legislation to study the impacts of data centers.

Our Collective Power Hour is in less than ONE hour! The Maryland General Assembly's special session will begin on Tuesday - this means we have less than one week to contact elected officials about data center reform. Join our Power Hour at 12pm to take action: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

A few more vibrant colors you can find at Woodend and in the Capital Region! Not sure if we could just pick one…

There are so many beautiful colors to see at Woodend and in the Capital Region throughout the year that it’s hard to just pick one!

There are still a few hours left to give today! We made strides at Woodend to restore out forests and we have advocated for our communities across the Capital Region. Every gift, large or small, makes a real difference! Click here to give what you can: give.natureforward.org/campaign/738...

It’s Giving Tuesday! Thanks to supporters like you, we have been able to accomplish SO much in the past year! Help us continue our mission of connecting people and nature in the Capital Region by clicking here: give.natureforward.org/campaign/738...

Today is Giving Tuesday! Take a moment to hear about all the work that your donations have helped support this year. Want to help us continue our mission of connecting people and nature in the Capital Region? Click here: give.natureforward.org/campaign/738...

Join Montgomery County SWPN this Thursday! Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Giving Tuesday is Tomorrow! Take a look at what our staff members have been able to accomplish in 2025, thanks to supporters like you. Want to give early? Learn more here: give.natureforward.org/campaign/738...

Our Maryland Conservation Advocate, @angie22mccarthy.bsky.social, has been nominated for Technical.ly's 2025 Maryland Thought Leader of the Year for her amazing work on data center reform! Vote before Sunday (November 30) to support Angie and help her win: technical.ly/vote.

With Swamp Rose, @gonatureforward.bsky.social, CASA-affiliated Workers Co-op Without Borders LLC, volunteers, and youth, we created two gardens in Langley Park! Our community came together to grow green spaces and resilience. Thanks Chesapeake Bay Trust. Story by @wtopnews.bsky.social

Our forests at Woodend are looking beautiful as the trees prepare for winter! Their leaves are turning all shades of yellow, orange, and red. Check out how different native species look and are changing colors, and keep an eye out for them on your next walk before fall is over!

Nature Forward is hiring! We are looking for a Maryland Research & Outreach Intern to work with our Maryland Conservation Advocate and support our data center reform work through research, writing, and community engagement. Apply by November 19th at 5pm: natureforward.org/wp-content/u...

Join the Montgomery County Stormwater Partners Network's next Lunch and Learn: Let's Move Beyond Plastic on December 4 from 12-1pm. They will discuss what impacts plastic pollution has on our communities, and what actions we can take to fight this issue. Sign up here: forms.gle/HyUBrn9ztvAg...

One week away! The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is hosting From Redlining to Renew: Advancing Reparative Justice in Policy & Practice on Wednesday, November 5th from 6:30pm-8:00pm. Join us and register here: #[bit.ly/3Jca09c

Why do we associate these animals with Halloween? Is it because they make scary sounds or roam around in the shadows? Either way, these spooky creatures serve important ecological roles in our ecosystems. Spider, Crow, and Owl photos by Jane Gamble Bat photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

It's almost Halloween! Check out some spooky native plants you might find on your next walk through the woods. You won't find Bloodroot or Ghost Plant flowering this time of year, but Doll's Eyes keep their berries until the end of October and Witch Hazels bloom throughout the fall.

A new article from the Baltimore Banner, mentioning our Director of Conservation, Lydia Lawrence, and our Maryland Conservation Advocate, @angie22mccarthy.bsky.social, discusses the impacts of data center developments in Maryland and Virginia: www.thebanner.com/economy/data...

@angie22mccarthy.bsky.social, our Maryland Conservation Advocate, had a great conversation about data centers with Citizens for Accountability in Governance. Watch the video below to hear from Angie as well as environmental experts, Julie Bolthouse and David Arndt: youtu.be/44DcfArtF7M?...

Prince George's County deserves professionals, not public servants who have been fired from their roles due to gross negligence. Let your councilmembers know to vote no to Dr. Moki for PG County's head of Department of the Environment: natureforward.org/prince-georg...